Industrial drop saves Germany’s compliance with 2022 climate targets

(EurActiv, 16 Mar 2023) German industry reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2022 compared to the previous year, enabling the country to stay in line with its overall emissions target despite additional emissions caused by an increased reliance on coal-fired power generation.

While emissions in industrial production dropped, other sectors saw an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, notably the power and transport sectors, the latter continuously missing the targets defined in the national climate law.

Overall, greenhouse gas emissions declined by 1.9% in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to numbers by the German Environment Agency, just about in line with the country’s climate objectives.

The drop in greenhouse gas emissions in the industry sector was, however, mostly due to a decreased production output as well as the substitution of locally produced energy-intensive components with imports.

“The slight decrease in emissions recorded by Germany in the year of the fossil energy crisis is primarily due to energy-saving effects and production declines in the energy-intensive industry – not to climate protection measures,” Simon Müller, head of the influential think tank Agora Energiewende, said in a statement.

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EurActiv, 16 Mar 2023: Industrial drop saves Germany’s compliance with 2022 climate targets